3B
your pockets
always filled
with star stuff
wrapped in paper
thin skin
rolled tighter than a chrysalis
then lit
inhale
stardust
your eyes shine
brighter
than the fluorescence
reflected
off my sweat stained
stomach
diamond rings
between my teeth
clouded eyes
we’re all smiles we’re
all smiles
unsteady smiles
honey filled
syringes
tie me off
with your tongue
be sure
to close the door
behind you
Bet Your Mind
B Y K ATA R I N A M E R L I N I
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / The Statement
W
hen I was a senior in high school, I participat-
ed in a young women’s leadership workshop
run by the large consulting firm McKinsey &
Company. At our first event, we were told to introduce
ourselves and share something we exceptional at. There
was a catch though: we weren’t allowed to attribute our
successes to anyone but ourselves.
It seemed like a simple task at first, but after just two
or three introductions, I realized the icebreaker would
take longer than I had imagined. Many girls subcon-
sciously modified their accomplishments with phrases
like “people tell me I’m good at” or “I guess I’m okay at”
and, upon each sign of hesitation, the facilitator would
instruct them to start over. It was as if each girl was
embarrassed to take ownership over her own varsity let-
ters, Model U.N. awards or artistic achievements. I was
no exception.
Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook
and author of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to
Lead, has identified the tendency of women to underes-
timate their own abilities as a key factor in the presence
and persistence of the modern-day glass ceiling.
A September 2015 report by Mckinsey and LeanIn.Org
surveyed 118 companies with roughly 30,000 employees
each in an effort to research the current state of women
in corporate America. The study found that women are
underrepresented at every corporate level, with the
greatest disparity at senior leadership levels. A 2003
Carnegie Mellon University study found that, of young
adults entering the workforce out of college, 57 percent
of males negotiated their starting salaries compared
to just 7 percent of women. In short: women are doing
amazing things, but they won’t demand credit for it.
For some reason, women think their work and their
accomplishments are somehow less deserving of recog-
nition than that of their male counterparts. Tradition-
ally, I’ve attributed corporate America’s gender gap to a
history of sexism and social barriers both in the office
and at home. But what if women aren’t achieving their
goals largely because of themselves?
What bothers me the most about this observation
is that it seems uncomfortably accurate. I constantly
remind myself and anyone who disagrees that I get good
grades because I study for hours on end– not because
I’m smart. I’m good at writing because I revise each
sentence, word and comma placement countless times
before hitting “print;” not because I’m a good writer. And
no matter how prepared I am for an exam, I continue to
tell the guy in my class who asks me how I feel about it
directly afterward that “I’m not sure.” What gets to me is
that I really am not sure, and apparently so are my peers.
Sitting in that office building, I was surrounded by
impressive girls from all over New Jersey– each intense-
ly driven and bound for elite colleges and universities.
But when prompted to take ownership over our own
achievements, many of us automatically attributed them
to other people.
I don’t know why women are more likely than men
to tell themselves they aren’t good enough, they don’t
deserve a promotion and that their successes are only
a product of the help they receive from those around
them. Looking around the room, I remember thinking to
myself how each girl was undoubtedly bound for a suc-
cessful career in business, government, medicine etc.
But what if our own reluctance to identify and demand
recognition for our strengths is the thickest glass stand-
ing in the way of our professional goals?
Zooming In: Women and Intimidation
B Y L A R A M O E H L M A N
“Shut the fuck up and
enjoy the greatness.”
— Rapper KANYE WEST on his
new album, “The Life of Pablo,”
which was released earlier this
week exclusively on the streaming
service Tidal.
“The system is designed
for colored people to
fail and one of our only
voices is music.”
—WEST on the music industry and
avenues of expression.
on the record: kanye west on twitter
“Yes I am personally rich and I can buy furs and
houses for my family but I need access to more
money in order to bring more beautiful ideas to the
world. If I spent my money on my ideas I could not
afford to take care of my family. I am in a place that
so many artist end up.”
—WEST on his balance of family support and creative endeavors.
“I made Dark Fantasy and Watch the Throne in one
year and wasn’t nominated for either ... I will have
over 100 Grammys before I die. I am the Jordan and
Steph Curry of music, meaning I’m the best of 2
generations.
—WEST on his perceived lack of critical recognition and his place in music
history.
ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA